I always thought I was a hard-working person, until I had a baby. For some reason, hardworking in the classroom or workplace doesn’t always transcend into motherhood. Maybe it’s because our home is supposed to be our oasis or place of relaxation. Add a screaming baby to your oasis and you’ve got a problem. I’ve tried to be the perfect mom, and it’s honestly just too much work. If there’s any place I should be able to slack off, it’s in the privacy of my own home. So here’s some shortcuts I’ve learned over the past year and half to help you be the laziest mom you can be.
1. Fed is Best
Sure, those all-organic, cloth-diapering moms are going to try to sell you on breastfeeding as the only way to properly feed a baby. But I’m here to tell you formula has come a long way. Its nutrients nearly mimic breast milk and I want you to know you have options. I chose to formula feed, because breastfeeding was just too hard, and that’s okay. My son refused to latch, and exclusively pumping was making me lose my mind. I’m not saying formula feeding is the lazy way out, because it can be work with the bottle cleaning and formula mixing; but it usually gets your baby to sleep longer through the night so you can catch some more Z’s.
2. Your Baby Doesn’t Always Need to Be Held While Feeding
One of the best investments I’ve made has to be a bottle holder for my infant son. Moms will try to tell you that you should always hold your baby while feeding them, because it’s a crucial bonding moment; but have you ever dealt with a screaming baby at a grocery store with no way of pushing a cart and holding a baby at the same time? Well, one solution I have found to come in handy while cooking and cleaning is using a bottle holder to assist in feeding your baby. I will usually place my son in his bouncer with the bottle holder and place him near the kitchen while I clean. Of course, always keep your child in sight so you can make sure they don’t choke or spit up.
3. Grocery Delivery is Your Best Friend
I am an avid believer of getting out of the house, unless it’s to go grocery shopping. It’s always a struggle with a little baby. Whether it’s a poopy blowout or an extremely aggravated baby, there is always an issue. Not to mention, you’ll always forget that one item that’s located way across the store when you were just there a few minutes ago. Grocery delivery is so seamless, I tell everyone about it. You literally search for your items like your on Amazon. Say goodbye to having to go aisle by aisle. Now, you simply search your item and add to cart. Most grocery stores offer free pickup or discounted delivery for next day delivery. Regardless, whatever the price is, I’m here to tell you it’s worth it.
4. Bathe Your Baby While You Shower
Whether you have a bathtub, or a shower with a built-in bench, you can shower with your baby. When my baby was smaller, I would place his baby bathtub on top of the built-in shower bench and place him in his personal bathtub while I showered in front of him. Now that he’s older, I place him in the adult bathtub with me while I shower and he plays in the water. It’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
5. Prepare Bottles Ahead of Time
This hack really only applies to formula-feeding mothers, but it’s pretty helpful. After sterilizing your bottles, add the water and formula and place your bottles in the refrigerator. These bottles will be good for 24 hours unopened. It makes feeding easier when you have a crying baby and all you have to do is grab a bottle out of the fridge and run it under some warm water. It also bypasses having to dry your bottles, since you’re putting water and formula straight into them.
6. Use a Microwavable Bottle Sterilizer Instead of a Dishwasher Sterilizer
This may seem pretty obvious, but I absolutely recommend using a microwaveable bottle sterilizer, rather than a dishwasher sterilizer. Having to wait an hour for clean bottles is no good when you have a screaming baby crying for a bottle. A microwaveable bottle sterilizer can have your bottles clean in just minutes.
7. Install a Car Seat Base in Every Car
If your budget allows, having a car seat base in every car allows for easy docking of your child’s carrier in and out of every car. This will save you so much time from having to remove the dock from one car and place into another. And it’s much safer to have a base in every car, rather than just relying on strapping your baby’s carrier directly with the seat belt.
Being a lazy mom doesn’t translate into being a bad mom, it just means you may have a lot on your plate and are in need of a break. Shortcuts help make life easier, and mothers definitely deserve all the help they can get. So take these hacks, and run with them. We all know you’ve earned it!